Toyota 1AR-FE engine
Content
The 1AR-FE engine appeared in 2008 and was first installed on Toyota Venza cars. It was developed on the basis of the smaller 2AR-FE (which, in turn, replaced the 2AZ-FE). The engine has been increased the height of the cylinder block, and the piston stroke was 105 mm. The production of the unit continues to this day.
Technical specifications
The 1AR-FE injection engine has 4 cylinders arranged in a row. The power of the unit is 182-187 hp. (This indicator may vary depending on the model of the car, but more on that later). The cylinder block is made of aluminum, and the diameter of each cylinder is 90 mm. As with other engines in the series, the camshaft on the 1AR-FE is driven by a single-row timing chain.
The manufacturer recommends that 1AR owners use AI-95 fuel (the compression ratio for this engine model is 10). The motor itself belongs to the ecological class Euro-5. Gasoline consumption per 100 km is:
| In the city | 13,3 liters |
| On the road | 7,9 liters |
| Mixed mode | 9,9 liters |
The volume of the 1AR-FE model is about 2,7 liters. Thus, it is the largest engine in the entire series (and one of the largest four-cylinders in the world).'
The manufacturer does not provide information on the exact resource of the engines. Practice shows that this value almost never drops below 300 thousand kilometers. However, in case of a serious breakdown of the unit, most likely, it will have to be replaced. After all, the cylinder block is not subject to boring, which means that it is not suitable for overhaul.
The motor has the potential for tuning. Although it is quite difficult to find spare parts for sale, a turbo kit for 2AR-FE can be installed on the unit (it will also work for 1AR-FE). However, this can significantly reduce the resource.
Motor reliability
In general, the 1AR-FE proved to be a fairly reliable motor with a long resource. The owner is required to carefully monitor the condition of the unit: check for breakdowns, change the oil on time, fill in only high-quality fuel. It is also undesirable to create excessive loads for the car. If you follow these rules, the engine will travel at least 300 thousand kilometers, and will hardly remind you of itself.
There are not so many weak points in 1AR motors (basically, these problems are common to the entire AR series). Here are a few of them:
- Even on cars with relatively low mileage, a pump breakage occurs. You can find out about this by strong noise and constant overheating of the engine. Of course, you can try to repair the pump. However, it is much easier to replace it with a new one (it is recommended to check the condition of this node every 40 thousand km and, if necessary, replace it).
- Sometimes the VVTi clutch can knock on a cold engine. This is not so critical, but if the driver wants to get rid of the noise, it is enough to replace the element.
- On machines with high mileage, compression loss is also possible. If the piston rings are the problem, replacing them should help. But if the cylinder mirror is broken, the repair will most likely fail.
- As with any other engines of a similar design, over time, the timing chain will stretch (its condition must be checked approximately every 50-60 thousand kilometers). The links will begin to slip, so such a malfunction will manifest itself with a lot of noise. To fix all the problems, you will need to replace the chain.
Maintainability
Like most modern Toyota engines, the 1AR-FE is non-repairable (the manufacturer directly states that overhaul is impossible). Of course, if the geometry of the cylinders is violated, you can try to bore them. But no one guarantees the result (most likely, after a while the motor will completely fail). Therefore, in case of serious breakdowns, it will be easier to completely replace the unit than to make unsuccessful attempts to restore its performance. Although the relative reliability of the units partially compensates for the impossibility of its repair.
Thus, all that a motorist can do is to be attentive to the condition of the engine. You can not load it more than the norm. All emerging problems should be identified and eliminated as soon as possible. Refuel only at approved gas stations. You also need to change the oil and consumables on time. And then the unit can travel even more than 400 thousand kilometers (at least it has such a potential).
What kind of oil to pour
The manufacturer recommends changing the lubricant every 7-10 thousand kilometers. In total, the system holds 4,4 liters of oil. The following grades are suitable for filling into a 1AR engine:
- 5W-40.
- 5W-30.
- 5W-20.
- 0W-40.
- 0W-30.
- 0W-20.
Oil on this engine model is consumed in the amount of 1 liter per 10000 km. Therefore, in order for the vehicle to work properly, the driver needs to check the lubricant level from time to time.
What cars the engine was installed on
The 1AR-FE motor was installed on 4 car models. Depending on this, the specifications may vary slightly.
- The first car equipped with 1AR-FE was the Toyota Venza. Engine power in this case was 182 hp. It was the only version of the car officially supplied to the Russian market (a modification with a 3,5-liter V6 was also available abroad).
- The unit was also installed on the second generation Toyota Highlander. The version of the car with such an engine is the youngest in the line. It can only be equipped with front-wheel drive (cars with 3,3 and 3,5-liter engines were equipped with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive).
- Also, the 1AR-FE engine was installed on the third generation of the Toyota Sienna minivan. Here, its power was also 187 hp. The version with this four-cylinder engine was supplied only with front-wheel drive and was not particularly popular. Therefore, starting in 2013, only a 3,5-liter V6 with 266 hp is installed on the Sienna.
- Another car that received the 1AR-FE is the Lexus RX270. In this case, the power of the unit was also 187 hp.
To date, there are no other models on which the 1AR-FE was serially installed. Now only Toyota Venza and Toyota Highlander continue to be supplied with this engine.
Reviews
Bought a used Toyota Venza 2 years ago. After a while, the pump broke down. Replaced. Since then, there have been no complaints about the operation of the engine. Perhaps, for such a car, the power unit is perfectly matched.
I've been driving a Toyota Sienna for a year now. Sometimes it is felt that the power of 1AR-FE is not enough for such a machine. The rest of the engine performed great. During the service has never required major repairs (only replacement of consumables). The motor is a solid four.
A few years went to the Toyota Venza. The engine of this car is what you need. There are quite enough horses, not much fuel is eaten. While driving, no additional maintenance and repairs were required (only added oil a couple of times). So the reliability is also on the level. I regret selling the car.
I recently bought a 2011 Toyota Sienna. At first, everything was smooth on the motor. But soon there was an incomprehensible noise when the engine was running. As it turned out, the VVTi clutch needs to be replaced. So far, no more problems have arisen. For such an engine, fuel consumption is quite good. There is enough power too.
2 years was a happy owner of Toyota Venza. What can I say, this is called the famous Japanese quality. For all the time, repairs were required only once (and it had nothing to do with the engine). Particularly pleased with the dynamics of the machine. The 2,7-liter four-cylinder accelerates the car very briskly. And the maximum speed for such a large crossover is not bad.
